Heaven
by Stacey1013
Summary: With his daughter learning how to swing by herself, starting kindergarten and learning to swim, Gabriella knew he had been watching the past year. Oneshot


**I just came up with this listenting to the 9/11 version of DJ Sammys Heaven. I don't own the song, nor do I own HSM or the characters. Its short, but i'm actually happy with it. Please review :) **

**Story is in Gabriella's POV.**

Heaven

_It's been a year daddy _

_I really really miss you _

_Mommy says you're safe now _

_in a beautiful place called Heaven _

It's been a year. A year since I lost him. My best friend, my soul mate, the father of my beautiful daughter. My husband. He was the most caring, honest, kind-hearted man I had ever known, and the fact he fought for our country proved that.

My daughter was too young to know the real reason why her daddy wasn't coming home. It was the hardest, thing I've ever had to do. I told her that daddy had gone to see her grandmother – Lucille, who died of cancer a few months before. She looked do confused, so lost, but I told her that heaven was the most beautiful place and that all the good people go there. Her dad was most definitely a good person.

It was a road side bomb; it had gone off when he was on duty. The bomb had killed 3 troops, one being my husband. I found out via the news, seeing the blast happen on the TV had my stomach sink. Call it intuition, call it whatever you want, but I knew it. I knew he was gone. The knock on the door and the sergeant standing on my doorstep with his head bowed proved I was right. That's when I burst into tears.

_We have your favorite dinner tonight _

_I ate it all up _

_even though i don't like carrots _

My daughter has always been picky about what she eats. Even in her young, tender age of 5. She has always hated carrots; any time I tried feeding them to her she would squirm away. Her father was the one who always got her to eat them..I don't know what it was. He must've had the special touch.

His favorite meal was a old fashioned roast. Be it chicken, pork or beef. He loved them, with roasted potatoes and veggies. So when Luci found carrots on her plate, she pulled a face. A couldn't help but laugh slightly, but with the meaning of her dad watching over her she ate the carrots. I didn't even have to try feed them to her, she just did it. It was that exact moment I knew Troy was with us, watching.

_I learned how to swim this summer _

_I can even open my eyes _

_When I'm under water _

_Can't you see me? _

Luci has always loved the water. I always figured that it was because it was a water birth, but I'm beginning to think her father had something to do with it. We have a pool in our yard, and when-ever Troy was in the pool, Luci would look on from her high chair or play pen and just watch him swim. It was like she was hypnotized. So teaching her how to swim for herself this summer was a big challenge for me, seeing as I'm not much of a swimmer myself. She's still a beginner, but she's getting there. I can't tell you how proud of her I am, and I know her dad would be too.

She can even open her eyes under the water. No goggles needed. She was so excited when she opened them the first time, she looked up at me and asked if her dad could see her. I smiled at her, nodding slowly. The fact I felt a presence behind me when she asked that proved that Troy was in fact, with us. Watching.

_I started kindergarten this year _

_I carry around a picture of us _

_in my Blue's Clues lunchbox _

The first day of kindergarten is always daunting. Not only for the child, but the parents as well. For me it was double. Not only did I have to see my baby off to school for the first time, I had to do it alone. She seemed so happy to be going to school, playing with other kids her age and the possibility of learning something knew each day.

Kindergarten meant going shopping for supplies. A backpack, some books, and a lunchbox. She had picked out a blue's clues one, her favorite TV show. Seeing the picture of the blue dog and her owner on the front of it made me smile, reminding me of how Troy would always watch the children's show with her. Sometimes I thought he enjoyed it more than she did.

When the first day came, Luci came downstairs with a picture in her hand. A picture of her and Troy taken at the park. One of the last pictures I had taken of the two of them before he was sent away. It was now one of the last pictures taken of him. She insisted of taking it with her so she knew Troy would be with her, I couldn't say no. I told her to keep it safe, so she put it in the lunchbox under her lunch.

"Now daddy will know I eat all my lunch!" she exclaimed, grinning.

_You are the greatest daddy _

Luci loved her father. And Troy loved her. She was a daddy's girl, and she still is even though Troy is no longer around. The two of them would always be getting up to no good, trying to sneak cookies before dinner or waking me up at unruly times of the morning just to say hi.

Troy was an amazing father. I still remember his face when I told him I was pregnant, it just like a lit up like a Christmas tree. Throughout the whole pregnancy he was by my side, putting up with midnight cravings and mood swings. I honestly don't know how he put up with it. But every time, it was the same answer when I asked him. "The nicer I am to you, the sooner the baby comes" it was always in a teasing tone, matched with that cheeky smirk of his, but I knew it was the truth. He was so excited to become a father.

_I can swing on the swing by myself _

_even though I miss you pushing me _

_Can't you see me? _

Not only can Luci swim now, but she can also swing. Another thing we have in our back yard, a swing set. Troy tried teaching her how to swing, but she would just pout and tell him to push her. It was the cutest thing, Troy could never say no to his little girl.

I caught Luci on the swing the other day, but she wasn't swinging. She looked up at me and I couldn't help but notice the tears in her eyes. I smiled softly, walking behind her to push her softly. I may not be her father, but it made her smile. She missed her daddy.

_I miss how you used to tickle me _

_Tickle my belly _

_My belly hurts _

Luci always loved being tickled. Troy would always chase her around the house and when he finally caught up with her she'd be tickled to death. He even did it to me occasionally, although I'm not as ticklish.

Luci would always complain how her belly hurt after Troy let her go. He'd always smiled softly at her, and blow raspberries' to make her laugh again. Something I always loved to watch, the two of them together always made my day. I always used to wonder if they remembered me. But the fact Troy would always wink at me and Luci hide behind me to get away from 'The Tickle Monster' told me otherwise.

_I try not to cry _

_Mommy says it's ok _

_I know you don't like it when i cry _

_Is it true you're not coming home? _

Luci now knows her father isn't coming home. I have a feeling she thinks she needs to be strong, for me. I haven't seen her shed a tear in a long time, although occasionally I will hear her sniffle when I walk past her room. I told her it was okay to cry, it let daddy know she still thought of him. But she'd always shake her head, "Daddy didn't like it when I cry"

It was true. Everytime Luci scraped her knee or tripped over Troy would always rush to her side and make sure she was okay. "Doctor Bolton" he was called and he'd always prescribe lots of hugs and kisses from both parents as a remedy.

_Maybe some day _

_I can visit you in Heaven, ok? _

Luci told me the other day; she wanted to visit Troy in heaven. I couldn't help but smile softly at her, thinking about Troy. I told her that one day, in the not so distant future, she could. But I also told her that she didn't need to.

When she asked why, I pointed to my heart. "Because daddy is in here" I told her, leaving it at that.

_It's time for me to go to bed now _

_I sleep with the light on _

_just in case you come home _

_and kiss me good night _

_I love you so much _

Closing the door half way, I looked back into the room and smiled. I had just tucked Luci in and she was fast asleep. I made sure to leave the small lamp in the corner of the room on. Usually children her age would want the lamp on incase a monster came into their room during the night, but Luci was different. She wanted it on because she thought Troy would come home and kiss her goodnight, which I'm sure he does.

I smiled as I looked on at Luci hugging the teddy bear Troy gave her for her third birthday close to her chest. It had been a tough year, but we got through it.

I know Troy is still with us. He's in heaven, looking down at us and making sure we're okay. I was even sure the cookie jar was left open the other night, well after Luci was put to bed. I laughed slightly at the memory as I made my way to bed.

I looked around the room slowly as I entered. The room was clean, as always. I'm a bit of a neat freak. Troy would always tease me about it, but I didn't find anything wrong with being clean.

I sat on the bed and smiled a bit as I looked onto Troy's side of the bed before lying down. At that moment I felt a presence in the room, I closed my eyes for a brief second and opened them to reveal my husband's blue eyes. I always knew he was watching us, this was another point proven. He soon winked at me, making me smile more. That was a sign to tell me everything will be okay, and I believed long as Luci and I believed Troy was in a better place, everything will be fine.

_I miss you daddy_

I miss you Troy.

**Sorry for any mistakes**


End file.
